Kentucky — Transportation

Kentucky Taxis and Car Rental

You can find taxi service in the larger cities of Kentucky like Louisville, Lexington, and Bowling Green. Taxis use meters and are reasonably priced since most trips around town are rather short. Yellow Cab (+1-502-636-5511) in Louisville and Blue Grass Taxi (+1-859-420-5232) in Lexington are popular companies.

But in reality, you will want to have your own vehicle, even if you only plan to travel around one particular city. The public bus routes are geared more toward residents than tourists, and most of the state’s attractions lie well outside the scope of buses or the affordability of a taxi. Major US car rental companies like Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz, and many others are on hand in all the large cities, as well as at every airport. Rent by the week to get lower daily rates, even when compared to rental costs in other states.

Kentucky Trains and Buses

The Amtrak train runs two lines through Kentucky, offering travelers a fun and scenic way to reach the state from several regions of the country. Amtrak makes stops in Louisville, Maysville, Fulton, Ashland, and South Shore. Trains aren’t particularly useful for traveling within Kentucky, but they are a pretty way to get here. Seats are comfortable and fares are reasonable though comparable to regional flights.

The more flexible and practical way to move around Kentucky is by Greyhound bus. The fares are cheap, but the accommodations are only tolerable for a few hours as there are no toilet facilities on board. On the plus side, you can reach virtually any town in Kentucky from anywhere else in America via the network, but still most people drive when they visit Kentucky to do one of the scenic road trips or the bourbon trail.

Within the main cities, there are local public bus systems that cater to residents commuting between home and work. Lextran covers Lexington, while TARC handles the bus traffic in Louisville. Fares are cheap, but the routes aren’t practical for most tourists, so it’s suggested to rent a car if you plan to do much sightseeing or moving around the state.